The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-17

time was undermost. And then
ensued struggle such as had no
idea mel were capable Of. We rolled
over each other, we strained every
nerve, each to kill the other, we dealt
each other desperate blows at random,
and then, when exhaustion forbade an
other movement mechanically we de-
sisted, and, and as mechanically rose
and drew few labored, gasping
breaths, and rushed to the contest
again.
Whether or not my opponent was
armed, know not; at any rate he made
no attempt to draw any weapon. AS
for me, | carried my useless pistol but
even had it been loaded, question if
would have used it after the first five
minutes; the contest was so terribly
close and equal that thought of any
extraneous aid did not occur to me-
Our action was wonderfully concert
ed as though governed by double
mechanism we struggled, fell, rose, and
resumed the fight, and that after each
had grown so weak that child could
have vanquished either.
And through all my terrible craving
for his life there crept, by-and-by, q
slow consciousness of respect for him.
He was tough as leather, and he fought
well, taking his punishment with an en-
durance that hitherto / had deemed
exclusively British.
When / look back on that incident
now have no knowledge OF time, no
memory of anything but pain and effort,
and binding blows. l cannot tell how
long the struggle lasted, or how it ter
minated, ] only know that at last the end
came somehow, and that, after period
OF oblivion, returned to consciousness
and found myself alone.
How / reached home l cannot tell,
for / walked the distance doubtless as
somnambulists do, for next day, when
a neighbor came to look me up, | was
tossing on my bed in raging fever,
and the money that had so nearly been
the price of life, was safely buttoned
i'll my pocket.
OF course the Great Britain sailed
without me, and of course the friends
awaiting me at home grew sick of the
silence which no explanation came to
break, for what message could any one
send who expected hourly to see me die !?
But the turn in my long illness came
at last, and then turned slowly and re-
luctantly towards improvement. L had
fought hard battle for life beneath tho
shadow of the eucalyptus; that which
disease waged against my youth later,
was as deadly and more pro-
lodged. But youth triumphed at last,
and rose shadow of my old self, like
ly to be debarred from existence on the
old glad, free, triumphant terms Of many
o day.
1t was years before the memento OF
my encounter with that desperate rufiian
had passed out of my system, but now,
after half lifetime, L can look back from
my fair, happy English home on that
incident of LILY career as contentedly rs
on any other of my colonial experiences.
AS to my enemy his body had been
found in the creek while | lay at the
point of death, but wheather fallen
there by accident or flung in through
despair, never knew
Gurrey's affairs frightened after left
him and the last time l looked on his
honest face, as he sat beside my Janie's
sister, with my youngest boy on his knee,
! decided conclusively that life was not
80 nearly over for him by long way as
he had imagined when good luck and he
stood on opposite sides. Household
Words.